Skeletal muscle is the largest organ comprising approximately 40% of the entire body mass. This tissue plays an essential role in regulating overall metabolism and maintains a tremendous capacity to undergo remodeling in response to mechanical load, metabolic state, age, and disease burden. Although muscle wasting is associated with a multitude of conditions that places a substantial negative impact on our health care system, there remains little awareness among scientists and clinicians on the molecular mechanisms that affect muscle mass and function. The purpose of this proposal is to request partial support for an international meeting on "Molecular Mechanisms of Muscle Growth and Wasting in Health and Disease", to be held in Ascona, Switzerland, at the Stefano Franscini Center from September 18-23, 2011. The principal goal of the meeting is to increase our understanding of skeletal muscle disorders. Towards this goal we seek to provide a forum conducive to discussing cutting edge research to raise the awareness of the underlying mechanisms of these disorders that are linked to controlling muscle mass and function, and to foster knowledge for the development of future therapies. Our anticipation is that this meeting will be successful and will serve as a launching point for a unique series of conferences focused on translating molecular mechanisms to clinical applications of skeletal muscle. The specific aims of the current meeting will be to assemble approximately 35 speakers who represent the key subject areas to be discussed among the 120 total attendees during the five-day conference. The meeting program will include a keynote speaker with seven sessions that address areas of muscle pertinent to Development and Repair, Maintenance of the Neuromuscular Junction, Mechanisms Controlling Muscle Size Through Protein Synthesis and Degradation, Effects on Muscle by the Environment and Epigenetics, Mechanisms of Muscle Wasting, and Therapeutic Strategies for Wasting in Sarcopenia and Muscular Dystrophies. The meeting will also actively engage young investigators by promoting their participation in the Oral Sessions, while separate Poster Sessions will provide all attendees the possibility to interact and participate in the conference. HEALTH RELEVANCE The health relatedness of our meeting is that resulting discussions and interactions from the presentations will enhance the overall understanding of the mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle maintenance and wasting relevant to muscle disorders, and the pharmacologic and biologic based technologies supporting their treatment. A broader goal of this first, of what we anticipate to be a continuing series of meetings, is to increase the development of these technologies to facilitate their application in a clinical setting.